The crowd of people that attended the Centennial Celebration were able to relive
the excitement that took place 100 years ago when the Lucas gusher erupted. Several
members of the Gulf Coast Living History Association portrayed the characters of
Patillo Higgins,
Anthony F. Lucas,
Hamill brothers, and townspeople.
The actors spent several months researching
their roles. They helped history repeat itself as they re-enacted the discovery of
"black gold" or "Texas Tea" at Spindletop.
A 65 foot replica of the Lucas gusher was built for this
special occasion.
As the re-enactment took place, the ground rumbled and the gusher blew
once again. It spewed more than 100 feet into the air--just as it did a century ago.
However, this time water, not oil, gushed out. More than 4,000 gallons of water was used
to repeat this historical event. All of the people watching agreed that this was an
experience of a lifetime.
The KFDM photography staff of Channel 6 News in Beaumont, Texas was there with their video
camera and caught this experience on tape. They were good enough to give us permission
to show the re-enactment of the gusher to you so that you can experience the awe of this event.
The file is rather large and takes approximately 5-10 minutes to transfer depending on your
connection speed.
It is also best viewed in Internet Explorer.
So please start your
download, visit other
areas of our website, and return to view the video. It is worth the wait! Thank you
for your patience.
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A 65 foot replica of the Lucas gusher was built for this
special occasion.
As the re-enactment took place, the ground rumbled and the gusher blew
once again. It spewed more than 100 feet into the air--just as it did a century ago.
However, this time water, not oil, gushed out. More than 4,000 gallons of water was used
to repeat this historical event. All of the people watching agreed that this was an
experience of a lifetime.
